The Bristol Blog features news and information about Bristol, Connecticut.

May 9, 2008

Charter decision may come today

There's a special City Council meeting at 5 p.m. today -- Friday, for those who are blissfully unaware of the calendar -- to determine the fate of the Charter Revision Commission's recommended changes to the city's blueprint.The most controversial measure is, of course, whether to create a chief operating officer for the city.Though the idea is almost certainly going to be voted down, there's a good chance that won't actually happen today.Instead, some have told me, the commission will probably be asked to ramp up the educational requirements for anyone seeking the full-time position. A vote on the proposal itself will likely come later.But you never know with this council. It's certainly possible the council will simply dump the concept today.I'm not sure what's going to happen to the other vaguely controversial recommendation to turn the part-time treasurer into an appointed position rather than an elected one. With all the hoopla over the chief operating officer, the treasurer suggestion has gotten little attention.I'll be there to let you know what happens today, but if you're curious to see city government in action - or its inaction, perhaps -then feel free to come to the meeting itself. What a great way to start the weekend!

If Minor votes "yes" (even thought it'll be a moot point), I'll vote for him in 2009. His GOP opponent in 2007 received almost every union endorsement known to man, so that candidate we must assume would vote "NO".

There will not be any vote tonight. All the council can do by statute tonight is suggest/request some tweakings to the Charter Revision Commission. The Charter Revision Commission has a couple weeks to respond with the "final" report. That "final" report can be the same as the "draft" report, or it can contain the council's suggested tweaks.

"It's much more likely that we'll go bankrupt from over-spending and over-taxing due to out-of-control municipal unions than anything else."

What facts are you basing this statement on? Could you please clarify how the union is responsible for over-taxing? Exactly how much over-spending is the union doing?

Contrary to what the political hacks would like us to believe...the "evil union monster" is not to blame for all our woes. We've got real problems that need real solutions. Don't let the hacks blow sunshine up your butt. They haven't got a clue!

First of all I wish the best for all people, working, non-working, union and non-union.

To answer your question; first of all the city budget is growing more than twice the rate of inflation. The city budget is paid for by taking money from people via taxes. This money could be spent (by individuals) on things that grows the economy instead.

Businesses also pay taxes. Labor negotiates wages, benefits and pensions from these businesses. The public employee unions get their wages, benefits and pensions from taxes. The cost of doing business in a certain area effects whether businesses develop in that area.

Let's look at Connecticut. New Departure is gone. Winchester is gone. Accurate Forging is gone. OZ Gedney is gone. Fafnir is gone. Veeder Root is gone. Superior Electric is mostly gone. Bristol Brass, Chase Brass, Timex, no longer exist. Stanley doesn't make anything here anymore. Pratt doesn't make anything here anymore. Kaman Aerospace doesn't make anything here anymore. The list goes on and on. Whether it's the cost of doing business, the cost of labor or foreign competition, these businesses are no longer in Connecticut. What have the unions do to cut those costs? The answer is nothing. All they have done is drive up the cost of labor and the cost of doing business in general.

Its funny how all you union people are against Cockayne, are you afraid he is on to something...9:00, I totally agree with you, the union has done nothing to help Bristol, all it has done is cost the city more. The city can't survive much longer with a union. Its costing us too much.

What should Steve do if the Press closes?

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